By Zac Ellis

Perhaps there’s more to blue-chip recruit Jabrill Peppers than meets the eye. A five-star prospect out of Paramus (N.J.) Catholic, Peppers recently dropped a video for his rap song “Don’t Take It Personal” on YouTube.

The track, credited to J. Reall (Peppers) featuring Knew Era X, begins with the line, “It ain’t no secret through the struggle only the strong survive.” Peppers is likely referring to his recruitment here, as he continues to fend off an endless sea of scholarship offers from major-conference programs. He’s reportedly narrowed his final list of schools down to LSU, Michigan, Notre Dame, Penn State, Rutgers and Stanford. He’s slated to make his announcement on ESPNU on May 26.

Unlike previous recruits’ rap videos, this effort isn’t half bad. Peppers appears to have a bright future ahead of him on the gridiron — he rushed for 1,552 yards and 18 touchdowns as a junior — but he may have a backup career path if the whole football thing goes south.

By Holly Anderson

NB: You probably do not want to play this video with the sound up at work, unless you work in a rap emporium.

Jay Harris, a Rivals.com three-star wide receiver committed to Michigan State, has made perhaps the offseason’s most unusual LOI-related announcement, declaring his intentions to give up football in favor of nurturing his rap career. Our pals at SB Nation are asking the important question; namely, which Big Ten coach do we want to see try the same thing? (The answer, naturally, is Kirk Ferentz, because how else are they going to get him out of there?)

[UPDATE: The above Inquirer story has now been altered to indicate Harris was stripped of his scholarship when school officials learned of the video, but goes on quote both Harris saying it was his decision and an MSU spokesman calling the move a mutual arrangement.]

By Holly Anderson

As is customary ’round these parts, we present to you a college football coach singing at Wrigley Field. Today’s victim: Rod Carey of Northern Illinois, who made the traditional pilgrimage for area coaches to last night’s Cubs baseball match (that’s what they’re called, right?) against the Rockies.

Wrigley Field! http://t.co/VsYFDbtitQ—
Rod Carey (@niucoachcarey) May 14, 2013

The song, and its surprising qualities, after the jump:

Read More…

By Holly Anderson

UGA tight ends coach John Lilly and DMX actually have a lot in common, at least as far as the “grown men who get to bark at work” thing goes.

DMX is in Athens tonight? Does he know he is on my ringback tone? Clean version, of course. #GetAtMeDawg—
John Lilly (@JohnLillyUGA) April 19, 2013

DMX, if you’re reading this, what are your feelings on scooter travel?

By Holly Anderson

… because he’s burning up the charts with Georgia’s latest anthem, amirite?? This first Dawgs music video of the year, like the first robin of spring, performed by Richt offspring David and former pro golfer/Jermaine Dupri collaborator Colt Ford, debuted at G-Day festivities on April 6, and has finally cooled enough to where we can handle it with tongs:

After the jump, a lovingly preserved .gif of Richt’s mesmerizing prow-of-the-Titanic dance moves, courtesy of @Landgrant33:

Read More…

Your weekend roundup of college football players hanging out with rap stars: First, we got Georgia’s Watts Dantzler dressing up Waka Flocka Flame on Friday night:

Waka rocking my shirt haha #GoDawgs http://t.co/5hQcnGtZLq—
Watts Dantzler (@wattsdantzler) March 23, 2013

Then, Saturday night brought tidings of Johnny Football and 2 Chainz.

And we thought we saw one of the Indigo Girls at the grocery store on Sunday, so.

• By the time you see this post, all of this information will be out of date. Just keep this soothing mantra in your minds, and we’ll all get through this together:

When it all boils down, we’re all members of the Human Race Conference. #footballhugs

— Good Bull Hunting (@GBHunting) November 28, 2012

Change begets stress, and even good stress is stress, our mama has always said, so continue those deep, cleansing breaths while you read these releases from Middle Tennessee State and Florida Atlantic announcing their intent to join Conference USA in 2014. Karl Benson is making solar puns in all caps, so give him a little hug if you see him. And our pal Steven Godfrey finally realizes why Rutgers cut him off for a story a couple weeks back.

The Sun Sentinel is reporting that Western Kentucky and New Mexico State may be next, so if it’s all right with y’all we’re going to wait until next week to re-revise our handy realignment graphic.

• Bowltyme! Our postseason schedule is up and running, with new bowl teams added as they’re announced. It’s also in a font large enough for you to read first thing in the morning without your glasses a couple weeks from now, when you sit upright in bed and are terrified you have overslept into the New Mexico Bowl.

Read More…

• Baby Mangino, you had a hell of a run. You achieved internet glory and are surely a robust and take-no-prisoners schoolchild by now. We wish you all the best, and must now pass your mantle to another:

Best Halloween costume ever #ThrowbackThursday #kstate twitpic.com/b59y5x

— D. Scott Fritchen (@DScottFritchen) October 18, 2012

• No. 2 Oregon 43, Arizona State 21. Stewart Mandel took in last night’s carnage in Tempe:

For exactly three plays Thursday, No. 2 Oregon looked mortal. On second down of the Ducks’ first possession, the quarterback fumbled. One play later, Arizona State quarterback Taylor Kelly threw a 28-yard touchdown.

“I don’t know if there can be a worst start,” said Oregon defensive coordinator Nick Aliotti. “And then we decided that maybe, possibly we wanted to play today.”

Read More…

• Sailors would guide entire journeys by it, but the joke was on them. Are we ever so happy as when another school comes out with a football-themed rap video? We really think not:

The best part of this particular contribution to the field of college football-themed music videos is that it’s school-sanctioned, and cannot therefore be written off as the actions of a mere fringe group. We like to think the bewildered-looking girl functions as a kind of silent Greek chorus here. We’re right with you, honey.

• Western Kentucky 31, Troy 26. The Hilltoppers remain undefeated in conference play in a deep Sun Belt, along with the Warhawks and Ragin’ Cajuns. [BOX | RECAP]

• Tulsa 33, UTEP 11. Filed under “Thing UTEP Did This Week:” Achieved the elusive scoreboard elevener! [BOX | RECAP]

• Arizona State 51, Colorado 17. A 17-point second quarter for the Buffs had us feeling pretty bad about our predicted Sun Devils blowout win. That feeling did not last too long. [BOX | RECAP]

Read More…

Unfamiliar with Wake Forest’s Michael Campanaro, currently a national top-15 receiver in yardage who is averaging more than 125 all-purpose yards per game? This video should fix that, indelibly. [Via @DHPIV.]

• Be warned, these people do make soup from frogs. TCU announced Tuesday that the Horned Frogs will play LSU in the 2013 season-opening Cowboys Classic. They’ll presumably face off in prime time, against Alabama and Virginia Tech in the Chick-fil-A Kickoff.

Read More…